Category Archives: Green Lantern

I remember, a number of years ago, lying on a bed in a Chicago hotel room, just back from a long day at the Wizard World Convention, reading the first volume of the Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War hardcover compilation.

My buddy, Denny, was reading the same book, picked up earlier in the day at the con, in the bed next to me, while this website’s Editor-In-Chief, Andy Burns, sat at the corner table, wondering what the hell we were reading that could illicit so many “AW YEAH!” and “OMG!” from our smiling, wide eyed, faces.

Space was the place, you see!

That Green Lantern story might arguably be the best Green Lantern story of them all. At the time, it breathed new life into DC Comics and space-faring comic book stories.

And with the publishing company’s “Rebirth” branded titles a little over a month into their campaign right now, that sense of excitement has got a renewed ground swell.

In many ways, that enthusiasm comes to a head today with the release of Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #1!

Since 2004, with the first publication of the mini-series, Green Lantern: Rebirth, writer Geoff Johns has been synonymous with the interstellar titular hero and his awesome green power ring. Johns, along with a slew of top-industry artists, revitalized both the character and the lore surrounding him within the pages of the monthly Green Lantern series, rescuing him from b-level superhero status and turning him into, arguably, the most popular of DC comic book heroes. Indeed, he’s a bigger draw than Wonder Woman, Superman and, sometimes, even Batman!

But today, that era comes to a shimmering, emerald-coloured end. After almost ten straight years writing Hal Jordan and the main Green Lantern title, Geoff Johns is leaving the series.

With the world’s myopic focus currently falling on NASA’s “Curiosity” Mars rover landing, many have forgotten that the universe is much larger than the inner SOL system. Its enormous breadth is, in fact, divided into 3,600 sectors, patrolled by 7,200 space cops known as the Green Lantern Corps.

I know that you know that you used to know that. It’s ok. Consider this column your reminder.

You’d recognize a number of these Green Lantern cops by name. Hal Jordon, perhaps the most famous, instantly comes to mind. But there’s also Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Kyle Raynor…and Simon Baz.

Simon Baz?

Yep. He’s the brand new, post New 52, Green Lantern recruit – and any new recruit is cause for a raised eyebrow. Perhaps never more so than today.

Editor’s Update: Turns out, the information about the release of one of this week’s featured title, gleaned from DC Comics’ own website is incorrect. Absolute Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Wars is now scheduled to be released in October, at least according to Amazon.ca. You can order it here and read about why you should after the jump.

But before that, as far as a single issue you should be picking up today, hands down it’s America’s Got Powers by Jonathan Ross and Bryan Hitch. Just when you think you’ve seen everything a superhero comic could do, these two creators come up with an absolutely brilliant concept (superpowered people competing on television for a spot on a team) and a stellar delivery. Ross’ dialogue makes you feel like you’re part of the tv show, while Hitch’s art is widescreen gorgeous. He makes use of double page spreads frequently, so I do recommend actually getting this issue in physical form rather than digital. For $2.99 and at 38 pages, it’s well worth it. America’s Got Power is currently scheduled to run as a mini-series, but I’m pretty sure we’re all going to wind up wanting more from these two. – Andy Burns

In a month that happens to have five Wednesdays, this week was always going to be a light week for new comic book releases. Still, that’s no excuse to not make your mid-week run to the local shop: there’s still a treat waiting for you there!

Whether you know them as the Justice League of America, the JLA, Justice League Europe, Justice League International, Justice League Unlimited or Justice League Task Force, these days DC’s greatest grouping of superheroes go by the simple yet effective: Justice League. Read the rest of this entry →

Even if you’re not a comic book reader, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard about DC Comics big reboot of their entire comic line. Ended were all of their monthly magazines (including decades-old titles like Detective Comics and Action Comics); in their stead, 52 brand titles, all starting at issue #1. For better or for worse, the reboot got the company a ton of mainstream publicity, everywhere from Entertainment Weekly to Deadline Hollywood to the New York Times. Pundits were calling it the biggest thing in comics this decade, maybe the biggest since X-Men #1 was released in the early 90’s and went on to sell 8 million copies. Speciality shops around North America were open for midnight sales on August 31st, meeting the demands of fans eager to get their hands on a copy of Justice League #1, the first issue of the New 52. Walking in to Comics and More, my local shop, along with Biff Bam Pop’s J.W. Ward and JP Fallavollita, I was surprised and pleased to see the tiny store packed with people of various ages. It seemed DC had come up with an idea that was sparking a lot of interest. Maybe the New 52 would be a bold, crowd-pleasing venture.

In case you hadn’t yet heard, there’s a big screen film premiering today called Green Lantern. Yeah, I know. It already sounds kinda weird, but just wait: it’s about an intergalactic police force made up of all sorts of strange looking alien beings, each wielding a green power ring that allows their thoughts to manifest into substantive constructs.

Think Star Wars meets NYPD Blue with maybe a little bit of The Last Starfighter and, of course, the Bible thrown in for good measure. Yeah. It’s that kind of weird.

Green Lantern, in all its strange, science fiction wonder, is a hard sell to an adult audience and early reviews of the film, starring Ryan Reynolds in the title role, have not been kind. But the kids…ah yes, the kids!

Timed perfectly with the release of the film, Warner Brothers has also seen fit to release the direct-to-DVD cartoon, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. And it may yet be the WB’s best offering in their line of quality direct-to-DVD cartoon flicks, quite possibly eclipsing the live action film itself. (Judgement reserved until I see the big screen version of the character.)

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights does a masterful job of weaving together six different stories into the larger tapestry of a galactic threat. Each story highlights a different character, all adding to the mythology of the Green Lantern universe. There are no weak links here – each segment is different from the last, each compelling to the viewer, be they adult or child. The DVD is probably the best primer for anyone interested in getting a better handle on the big screen film or looking to pick up any GL comic books.

There’s real emotional resonance on display here – right from the opening scene, which visualizes the horrible death of a Green Lantern Corps member and the importance the GL ring has on the wearer and the Corps as a whole. The sequence serves to entrench Emerald Knights within the DC Universe and serve as the catalyst for the cartoon film’s big bad. In fact, each of the storylines endears themselves to viewers.

In a story that reminisces Greek and Roman mythology, we learn about the establishment of the Green Lantern Corps and Avra, the first emerald warrior, wherein it’s narrated that “Avra was not the first to wear a ring, but he was the first Green Lantern.” Now that kind of parable-sort-of-storytelling, taken directly from the “Book of Oa” (a kind of historical Bible for the GL Corps), is enticing! In another segment, we are presented with the origin of Kilowog, a hulking beast of a character that looks a lot like a hippopotamus (and one of fandom’s favourite GL’s), voiced by punk rocker Henry Rollins. In it, we learn exactly what it means to be part of this intergalactic police force. Laira, another Corps member, is also on display here in a heart-wrenching tale that sees her go against her war-like family for the responsibility that is a ring-bearer within the Corps.

The Abin Sur segment (another character that fans love) of the cartoon preludes the mythology of the last few years of storytelling within the Green Lantern comic book series – including the famed “Blackest Night” storyline, while the “Mogo Doesn’t Socialize” chapter taps on the funny bone as a ruthless war-monger (voiced to perfection by wrestler-turned-actor, Rowdy Roddy Piper) searches for the Green Lantern named Mogo, perhaps the galaxy’s greatest warrior of them all. This particular story showcases the diversity of the Green Lantern Corps, a message that brings light to the diversity of people and cultures on our own, real life planet earth.

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, for all of its inherent weirdness, is a highly recommended fun, fascinating and often thought provoking cartoon for viewers of all ages. The fact that it is available now, leads me to believe that it is, at least, a solid alternative to Green Lantern lore if the big-screen film version doesn’t get it right.

I, at least, know there will be more quality Green Lantern cartoons in the future. It’s written in the Book of Oa, after all.

This weekend, there’s a whole lot riding on the guy with the green ring.

In case you don’t know, this guy:

Green Lantern debuts in theatres Friday and stars Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, a test pilot who discovers a dying alien that gives him a ring of incredible power and membership in the Green Lantern Corps, a collective of aliens tasked with policing the cosmos.The Corps inform Hal of an extraterrestrial threat to Earth, one that will force him to overcome great fear if he’s to save the world.

Early reviews of Green Lantern (like this and this) haven’t been kind, making the big budget CGI-fest a big gamble for DC Entertainment, Time Warner and the future of the comic book movie.While a fan-favourite property to comic readers, Green Lantern is nobody to the public at large.Moreso than fear, Green Lantern will have to overcome great public ignorance and bad press in the coming weeks to become the summer superhero success story it needs to be.Here’s why:

1)Money – With an estimated cost between $150 and $200 million, (and, as a rule of thumb, an additional $200 million to market), Green Lantern needs to make back its budget to justify continuing the franchise with two more movies, as is the not-too-secret plan. Given that the character is an unknown commodity and the film is already getting poor reviews, making the money it needs to be a success will depend on developing good word-of-mouth credibility beyond its opening weekend.Right now, that doesn’t seem likely;

2)Competition – DC-based superhero movies have been virtually non-existent over the last six years, save for Christopher Nolan’s brilliant Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, Bryan Singer’s poorly-received Superman Returns of 2006 and Zack Snyder’s Watchmen of 2009.Meanwhile, Marvel Entertainment has been busy at the box office.They released Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk in 2008 and Iron Man 2 in 2010.This year has already seen Thor achieve box office glory, while Captain America: The First Avenger comes out July 22nd.All this culminates with the major characters of these five films joining forces for 2012’s The Avengers, creating a shared universe chock full of possibilities.Oh, and we can’t forget Marvel’s licensed properties, like the recent X-Men: First Class and Sony Entertainment’s reboot of New York’s favourite web-slinger with 2012’s Amazing Spider-Man.GreenLantern is DC Entertainment’s first step towards truly competing with Marvel, and DC has their work cut out for them;

3)The comic relaunch – As has been covered in detail here at Biff Bam Pop, DC Comics has decided to relaunch its entire superhero line in September, with 52 brand new #1 issues featuring modernized versions of its iconic characters. Green Lantern characters will be the focus of three of these books, and the synergistic hope is that Green Lantern the movie will bring new readers to DC’s newly-set table, and;

4)More movies – If GreenLantern does become a success, it opens the doors to more DC characters in film and more comic book movies in general.Currently, Hollywood is bouncing around concepts for the likes of Hawkman, Flash, Shazam and the Nolan-helmed Superman reboot.If Green Lantern tanks, watch Hollywood’s superheroic balls pull so tightly into its body that we’ll be lucky to see anything aside from Nolan’s Superman and Batman flicks for the next five years – and that’s not a good thing.

What DC Comics superhero do you believe deserves the major movie treatment?

JW Ward is a Toronto based writer, media personality and professional cynic. Follow him on Twitter at @jasonwardDOTca, through his website at www.jasonward.ca and every Thursday here at Biff Bam Pop!

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The latest trailer for Green Lantern just hit the web and I have to admit, this film just looks better and better. This trailer gives a greater sense of the story we’ll see on the big screen, along with the strong supporting cast of characters (I don’t think I knew Tim Robbins is in this). With the first flight of this legendary character, Ryan Reynolds has a lot riding on his shoulders, but if this new look at Green Lantern is any indication, he doesn’t have anything to fear.

Green Lantern is in theatres June 17th. Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think.

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Every Wednesday, JP makes the after-work run to his local downtown comic book shop. Comics arrive on Wednesdays you see and JP, fearful that the latest issue will sell out, rushes out to purchase his copy. This regular, weekly column will highlight a particularly interesting release, written in short order, of course, because JP has to get his – before someone else does!

Green Lantern # 64

Written by: Geoff Johns

Illustrated by: Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy

DC Comics

The “in” colour this summer is definitely going to be green.

Not only is Green Lantern, the big budget Hollywood film starring Ryan Reynolds in the titular role, being released in theatres (everywhere!) this year, but the character has a highly anticipated straight-to-DVD animated film on the horizon as well!

Remember how much you loved the monthly Green Lantern comic book series a few years ago? You know, before everything exploded and spun out into various tie-in series during the cool-but-too-mammoth Black Lantern storyline? Before DC Comics and their parent bean counters, Warner Brothers, got involved with publishing operations? (I kid. Those were fun days, too.) Remember the fan favourite Sinestro Corps War over-arching storyline that ran within the pages of Green Lantern proper?

Well you’re about to live those comic book glory days all over again this spring and summer.

Issue #64 of Green Lantern, out today, brings us the beginning chapter of a new storyline: “War of the Green Lanterns.” Brilliant writer Geoff Johns, the creative guy that has breathed new life into the Emerald Warrior, has been building to this point for the better part of five years! That’s right fan boys and fan girls! The moment you’ve been waiting for is afoot: the dissolution of the famed intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps!

Now, which villain has wanted that end game for a long, long time?

Oh, I know. I’ve known for nearly as long as I’ve been reading the series. But I’m not telling today!

So, if it’s epic, heroic, sci-fi adventure you’re looking for, all served up on a monthly basis, make the Wednesday run now. Go find out what all the green excitement is about!